


Chocolate Sundaes and Smiles

by orphan_account



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Bonding, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-09 21:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6924076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three counseling sessions Ro Laren never had.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chocolate Sundaes and Smiles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [juniperpines](https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniperpines/gifts).



> betaed by [trascendenza](http://archiveofourown.org/users/trascendenza/pseuds/trascendenza)

Ro didn't know why she'd let her roommate talk her into coming to this planet. Betazed was pretty, the people were friendly, but there was something off about this place. There was an almost oppressive sense of peace and tranquility -- it was enough to make her wonder if the Betazoids had installed the telepathic equivalent of a weather net.

“Don’t be silly, Laren.” Katie chided. She was lying on the back porch of their guest house, soaking up the Betazoid sun.

“Don’t you think it’s suspicious that they haven’t had a war in hundreds of years, Katie?”

“Well, it’s hard to fight when everyone knows what the other person's thinking. Really Laren, they’re just a bunch of friendly, fun-loving people. You just have to get to know them. Kham can introduce you to a few folks tonight.”

Kham was Katie’s latest fling, (she never stayed with anyone for very long.) Ro had originally been annoyed to have the flighty, shallow Catherine McAllister as a roommate, until she realized it was all an act. Katie was actually really smart and had her sights set on graduating at the top of their class.

“Forget it, Katie. I’m leaving tomorrow morning.

I.

Ro had never been a fan of therapists. No one was there to hold her hand when she was starving in the refugee camp and sleeping on the ground. She didn’t have someone to discuss her “feelings” with after her father was murdered. In those days you either made it or you didn’t. It doesn’t help that the Enterprise’s counselor was from that weird planet of happy mind readers.

So, when Deanna Troi contacted her because she hadn’t had a psych eval since long before she went to prison, Ro found other places to be.

After the third missed appointment, Troi came to her. Ro was talking to Guinan in Ten-Forward when Troi entered and headed right for her table. Guinan of course, was no help at all. She winked at Laren and went off to wait another table.

“So, Ensign, it occurred to me that you might prefer to have our discussion outside of my office,” Troi said as she took a seat. Perhaps this area might be more to your liking?”

Ro inwardly took a deep breath, reminding herself to control her temper. Troi did outrank her and, for once, she was actually trying to make a place for herself on this ship.

“With all due respect, counselor, I’ve spent the last four years of my life in a prison cell. Talking’s not one of my strong points.”

“Well, that certainly fits with your profile, Ensign Ro. You never said a word to defend yourself, before or after your trial. According to your records at the Academy, you were distant and uncooperative with their psychologists. I’m starting to get the impression that you don’t like counseling, Ensign Ro. You’ve been through a lot; it never hurts to have someone to talk to.”

Ro couldn't imagine talking to someone like Troi. The other woman was a Betazoid with a perfect Starfleet record. Troi never knew the horrors of the camps. She never felt the sense of shame Ro experienced when eight of her comrades, including Katie, died because of a mistake she made.

Guinan interrupted their conversation, setting a tray down on their table.

“One sundae for you, counselor, made just the way you like it.”

“Oh, thank you, Guinan.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve ever had one of Guinan’s hot fudge sundaes, Ensign,” Troi asked as she took a bite.

“No, I’ve never been a fan of sweets.”

She hasn’t touched anything remotely resembling dessert since that fateful day a Cardassian bribed her with a piece of candy and took her to see her father.

“Ensign, I’ll be frank with you. Commander Riker doesn’t have any issues with your performance. Well, at least not any serious ones. I’m going to let the psych evaluation go for now. You know I’ll be here if you need me, Ensign Ro.”

Ro left Troi to her chocolate sundae and walked away from the table with a feeling of relief.

…

If you asked Ro what it what take for her and Deanna Troi to become friends, sleeping with Commander Riker would be nowhere on her list. And yet, she and Troi laughed over the incident in Ten-Forward.

“Does he really still snore in his sleep?,” Deanna asked, barely able to keep a straight face.

“He does and it’s awful, I didn’t get a wink of sleep.”

Commander Riker didn’t look her in the eye for a week after the “incident”, but Ro made a new friend.

II.

“I seriously thought I was dead,” she told Deanna over drinks. It’s had only been a couple of days since she and Geordi were unphased, but Ro was still shaken.

“My parents taught me to believe in the Prophets. They’re supposed to come for you when you die and take you to their celestial temple. I stopped believing in that crap long ago; put my earring on the wrong ear. It’s one of the reasons I joined Starfleet instead of going back to Bajor. My people don’t take kindly to non-believers. It’s strange to be an outcast among your own race.”

“You’re not the only one, Laren. I’m an empath on a planet of telepaths. My mother tried to protect me, but it didn’t stop the feelings of isolation and loneliness. Perhaps that’s why I joined Starfleet. Betazoid just wasn’t the right place for me.”

“Well,” Ro said, “here’s to Starfleet, home of the misfits.”

With that she takes a swig of her drink.

“Ensign Ro,” Troi adopted a more serious tone. “You had the equivalent of a near death experience. It’s natural for someone in your situation to reflect back on their life. Maybe you should take some time off, think about your life. It’s not unusual for someone in your position to make some career changes.”

“Trust me, counselor. I’m staying I’m not going anywhere…and here comes your chocolate sundae.”

Troi gratefully took the item from the waiter.

“Would you care for a bite, Ensign?”

Ro shook her head.

“Not a chance, counselor.”

…..

Years later, long after she joined the Maquis, Ro realized Deanna Troi was the only one who ever hinted Starfleet might not be the right place for her. For the first time in her life, she had a cause worth fighting for. More importantly, she had a place to call home.

Then the Cardassians joined up with the Dominion and wiped most of the Maquis out.

III

Ro had expected to be back in jail, not the head of security of Deep Space Nine. She certainly hadn’t expected to see Deanna Troi again, holding a little girl with Riker’s eyes.

“To be honest,” she told Deanna, “those years with the Maquis were the happiest of my life. If I could do it over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

They were at Quark’s, where Ro usually went at the end of her shift. Troi had put little Natasha down for a nap.

“And how do you feel about your situation now, Lieutenaut Colonel.”

Ro looked down at her grey Bajoran uniform.

“Well, the Starfleet uniforms were better looking, but this one feels better. As for the job, I never expected to be helping the Cardassians instead of fighting them. I’ve gotten some strange looks from a couple of ranjins for being a non-believer, but the other Bajorans haven’t said a word. Deep Space Nine isn’t quite home, but it’s a better than Starfleet.”

Deanna Troi smiled at her from across the table.

“I’m glad to know that, Laren. Will and I were concerned when we heard about the fate of the Maquis. It’s good to see you again.”

“And you, I just can’t believe they’re sending the Titan to explore the Gamma Quadrant.”

“Will requested it actually; he needed a change of scenery.”

A Ferengi bartender strode up to the table carrying a tray.

“Two chocolate sundaes, as you requested.”

Deanna looked at her in puzzlement.

“Laren, I thought you hated dessert.”

Ro shrugged.

“It’s never too late to try new things."

**Author's Note:**

> It's been years since I read a Star Trek novel. However, Memory Beta tells me that Ro did become DS9's chief of security after the series ended. There's also a mention of Riker and Troi having a daughter.


End file.
